Edwin Jagger DE86 Razor – Review of the Black Handle

After months of work I finally convinced one of my good friends to come over to the classic razor side. He was resistant for the usual reasons – ‘there is nothing wrong with my current razor’, ‘how can one blade perform better than five?’, etc. He finally submitted after I agreed to purchase whatever razor he bought, off of him if he would just give it a try. I also think he may have been sick of me talking about shaving when ever we got together for a beer, but whatever works I guess.

He opted for the Edwin Jagger DE 86 – it is at this point some clarification is needed, especially if you are currently shopping for you first razor. The Edwin Jagger DE86, the DE87, and the DE89 all share the same head. To take it a step further you can find the same head on the Muhle range of razors (their handles are slightly more ornate usually resulting in a higher cost) but that is for another post. I will refer you to the review of the DE89 (the razor I suggested my friend purchase) for information on how the head of this razor performs, hence the title of the post.

As I was saying my friend opted for the Edwin Jagger DE86 a decision partially based on my suggestion to purchase the DE89, but mainly a decision based on the fact that he preferred the look of the black handle over the chrome. I popped by his place a couple of nights ago for drink and was able to take a look at the DE86 and give it try. My main curiosity was with how the handle performed under wet conditions. The DE89lbl has a lined handle, which provided more than adequate grip, but the DE86 has no lines and is made up of a faux Ebony material.

I had shaved earlier that day so giving the razor a proper spin wasn’t a good idea, so I used the razor without a blade going through I my usual motions. As expected the razor felt great with try hands. I added some water to the mix to see if it made a difference and it did very little to make me feel as though I was going to lose control of the handle. Finally for good measure I added some shave soap to my hand to see if I would still be able to manage, and although I wasn’t fumbling with it (the end of the handle does have a ribbed tip that should stop you from sliding completely off the handle), it didn’t feel as secure as my DE89. That is really a minor detail, really should be washing the soap off your hands anyway, but needs to be mentioned. I would also imagine that if you have slightly larger hands you may prefer the textured handle over the non-lined handle.

So my final assessment of the Edwin Jagger DE86 is that it would probably satisfy most new comers and wouldn’t be a bad choice if you are looking for a second razor.

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